Gorse is a tall, dense, spiky evergreen shrub that flowers throughout the year but mainly from May to June. Its bright yellow flowers smell of coconut.
Gorse has thick in-rolled leaves that are extremely prickly to touch and resemble needles.
Gorse is a common plant on the open heath of the New Forest.
Gorse has narrow, waxy leaves which reduce surface area and therefore water loss. This helps it to survive in dry conditions. Gorse can obtain nitrogen (from air in the soil) by a clever association with nitrogen fixing bacteria in its root nodules. This means it is able to grow successfully in poor soil conditions.
Producer - As a green plant, gorse produces energy through the process of photosynthesis.
At times the heathland is burned deliberately to prevent trees from becoming established, to allow other plants to grow and 'refresh' the gorse. However, uncontrolled fires can be devastating to both plants and wildlife.
Help to look after the heathland habitat by taking your litter home and prevent uncontrolled heathland fires by only using designated barbecue areas in the Forest.